Device for protecting furnaces or like structures



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. MGGLURE 8v 0. F. PHILLIPS. DEVICE FOR PROTECTING FURNACES AND LIKE STRUCTURES.

No. 397,376. Patented Feb. 5, 1889..

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I S. MoGLURE & (LP. PHILLIPS. DEVICE FOR PROTECTING FURNACES AND LIKE STRUCTURES.

m I a M w fill-WP. "a I I w N o fully illustrate our improvements.

SAMUEL MCCLURE AND CHARLES F. PHILLIPS, OF SHARON, PENNSYLVJ DEVICE FOR PROTECTING FURNACES OR LIKE STRUQTURES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 397,376, dated February 5, 1889.

Application filed March 1, 1888. Serial No. 265,878. (No model.)

To (TLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL MCCLURE and CHARLES F. PHILLIPS, citizens of the United States, residing at Sharon, in the county of idercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovenients in. Devices for Protecting Furnaces or Like Structures; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to means forprotecting the linings and jackets of furnaces and furnace-stacks. It is applicable to all classes of furnaces-such, for instance, as blast, puddling, heating, and cupola furnaccs-aud to all classes of stacks, whether constructed of brick and iron or of brick alone.

The invention consists, first, in providing a brick structure such as a furnace or stack with a non-conducting water-space filled with gravel or other coarse substance; further, in the peculiar arrangement of devices for supplying water to the whole or to any part of such water-space; further, to a system of observation-boxes located in the wall of the structure, by means of which. the condition of the water-space and ti'irnaee-liniug may be observed, and, finally, in details of construction required in embodying the above general features, all of which will be fully hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the wall or lining of a blast-furinrcc. Fig. 2 is a similar section, illustrating a modification. Fig. 3 a horizontal section on the line co m of Fig. Fig. i is a plan view of a section of the water-pipe within the waterspace. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the observation-boxes.

As stated above, our invention is applicable to all kinds of brick furnaces and furnacestacks; but we have shown it in the drawings in connection with a blast-:t'uruace ot' the ordinary type, the drawings showing only so much of such a furnace as is necessary to A is the inner brick structure or lining of the furnace, and B the external iron jacket surrounding said furnace.

C represents a space in the lining, which extends from the cap or mantel D to the top of the furnace and throughout the entire ex tent of the latter, as shown in Fig. 3. This space may be formed as in Fig. 1, where an external course oi brick is interposed between it and the jacket B, or as in 2, where the space is formed between the jacket and brickwork directly. The entire space is filled with coarse gravel or some similar material, which of itself forms a non-conducting agent. This non-e01ulucting space is supplied with water in whole or in any portion by a system of watindisi ributiou,which will now be described. E represents a water-pipe constructed in sections 1), shown in Fig. 3. This pipe is embedded. in the gravel filling of the waterspace at a suitable height and extends horizontally throughout the entire circumference of said space. The ends of the sections are closed and each one is provided with a number of perforations, Z), Fig. 4, through which the water is admitted to the gravel filling, down which it percolates,thoroughly moistenbig it below each section of pipe. The seetions b may be supplied with water from a circular pipe, F, surrounding the furnace and having a branch pipe, f, with asuitable valve,

f communicating with each of said sections.

A vertical pipe, (1}, cinnmunicates with said pipe F and with a tube, ll, connected to any supply of water under pressure. \Ve prefer, however, to dispense with the pipe F, and supply each section b by means of a separate vertical pipe, like the pipe G, connected direct] y to such section and to the tube H and having a suitable cut-oil? valve. The tube H also surrornuls the furnace and is supported by the bracket I. The tube is p refer-ably made, as shown in Figs. l. and 2, with an open trough, .T, into which the discharge-pipe K carries any excess oif water from the space 0, and which should connnunicate with a suitable drain. The tube and trough are built of iron sect-ions 9 5 bolted together, as shown at '2', Fig. 1, but may be formed in any other way that may be found desirable.

It will be evident from the description that water can be supplied to any or all of the secmo tions Z) of the inner water-pipe, and thus that any portion of the entire circumference of the graveled space may be thoroughly moistened at will; also that the water may beshut off entirely and such space used conductor.

In order that the condition of the furnace lining and water-space may be accurately ob served, we have provided a series of observation-boxes, L, one of which is shown in Fig. 5. These boxes are cast of any desired size-say from four to six inches in diamcterand are preferably square in cross-section. They are cast with a flange, I, at their outer end, by means of which they are bolted to and within the iron furnace-jacket, as shown at Z,Fig. 1. Their inner end extends a sufficient distance into the brick lining, and, like the outer end, is open, so that the condition of the lining can be seen. Each box is provided with a slot, 1*, which registers with the water-space, and which, while allowing the amount of moisture as a dry non- 'in the gravel. to be ascertained, also permits of evaporation when from any cause it occurs. These boxes are placed around the entire furnace in tiers, the tiers being, say, three feet apart, and the boxes in. each tierabout a similar distance from one another. The tiers may be carried up to the top of the furnace, if thought desirable, or to any height below that, and the boxes in each tier are arranged so as to alternate in position with the two adjacent boxes in the next tiers above an d below. These boxes may be made accessible by platforms at the different tiers or in various other ways.

WVhat we claim is 1. In a furnace having a space in its wall filled with gravel or like material, a horizontal water-pipe embedded in said filling and perforated on its lower side, an external suppl y-pipe, as ll,to contain water under pressure, and vertical pipes, as G, to supply water to the said horizontal water-pipe to fill said space by percolation, substantially as described.

2. In a furnace having a space in its wall filled with gravel or similar material, a hori-, zontal Water-pipe composed of disconnected sections having closed ends, said pipe being embedded in said filling and perforated, a supply-pipe, as H, and a series of external vertical pipes connecting said pipe 11 to each section of the horizontal water-pipe, substantially as described.

In a furnace having a space in the wall filled with grave]. or like material, and also havinga water-pipe embedded in said filling for supplying water thereto by percolation, a series of observation-boxes in the furnacewall open at their outer ends and having a slot registering with the filled space inthe wall, sul'istantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have aifixed our signatures in presence of .two witnesses.

SAMUEL MCCLURE. CHARLES F. PHILLIPS.

\Vitnesses:

THos. J. GILLEsPIE, FRANK L. WILLIAMS. 

